Engine-starter.



'E. F. MAYERS.

ENGINE STARTER.

1 APPLICATION FILED AUG. III 1917. 1,299,370. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVE'NTOR zrzw em ATTORN EY WITNESSES E. F. MAYERS.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION fiLED Auan. I917.

Patentd Apr. 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES v UNITED srn'rns PATENT onmen, j

ELTON, r. MAYERS, on. NEW YORK, n. Y.

ENGINE-STARTER.

v Specification of Letters Patent. 7 I Patented Apr, 1, 1919,

' Application filed August 17, 1917. SerialNo. 186,801.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ELTON FJMAYERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York City, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements, in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engine starters of the compressed air type, in which air under pressure is delivered to'the engine cylinders to act on the pistons and impart working strokes thereto until the engine begins its own cycle'of operation as an explosive en gine.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to .provide visual indicating means which will inform the operator as to which of the engine pistons are in position to be acted uponby the compressed air to start the engine shaft turning in the proper direction, therefore avoiding the chance of starting the engine in the wrong direction.

A further object of the invention is to control the air connections leading to the cylinders by means of a manually operable lever with the aid of which'the compressed air may be delivered first to one group of cylinders and then to another group.

7 With the above and otherobjects in .view, 1

the invention consists in the novelconstruc-QI tion, comblnatlon and arrangement of parts,"

herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an'engine and part of a motor vehicle in which the engine is mounted, showing the air connections.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the dash or instrument board of the vehicle, showing the arrangement of valves and valve controlling lever.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the valves and their controlling means.

In carrying out the present invention, I employ a compressed air tank 1 which may be of any size and located at any convenient point in the vehicle as for example under the floor. 2 represents an air compressor driven by an electric motor 3 connected with the source of electrical energy carried by the vehicle. From the air compressor 2, a compressed air pipe 4 leads to the tank 1 and has incorporated therein a check valve 5 which prevents return flow of the compressed air from the tank to the air compressor. 6 represents anair pressure gage connected by a pipe or tube 7 with thetank 1, said pressure gage being conveniently ar': ranged on the dash or instrument board 8 of the vehicle. Y 5' A compressed air delivery pipe 9 leads from the tank '1 to the dash 8' at the rear side thereof where it is bifurcated to provide branch connections 10 and 11 one of which leads to one group of cylinders 'a-and -0, being provided with branches 12 and 13 for that purpose. The other branch connection 11 leads to another group of cylinders b and d and provided with branches 14 and 15 for that purpose; This providesfor conducting air under pressure to all of the cylinders of the engine. Located in the branches 10 and 11 are spring closed valves 16 and li'having the stems thereof extended' toward each other. Arranged between the adjacent ends of the valvestems isa lever 18 ,fulcrumed at 19 and adapted when movedto the left to unseat the valve 16 and whenmoved t0 the right to unseat the valve 17 By rocking the leve 18rapidly in opposite directions,-'air is admitted first to one group of cylindersand then to the other group.

1 In order that the operator may ascertain which set of pistons is at or near the upper limit of movement thereof, I provide visual indicating means, as follows. On the crank shaft 20 of the engine I place eccentrics 21 at 180 from each other. Around the eccentrics are straps 22 and extending upwardly from said straps are indicating members 23 such as rods, suitable guiding means being provided for said rods. The upper extremities of the rods .or indicating members 23 may be observed through openings 24 in the dash or instrument board 8, the openings 24 being preferably glazed. When one group of pistons is at or near the top limit of movement thereof, the corresponding indicating member 3 will also be at or near the top of its movement while. the other indicating member 23 will be at or near the lower limit of its movement. The openings 24 are arranged approxi mately over the respectivevalves 16' and 17 i the respective valve and admits air to the corresponding cylinders driving the pistons downwardly and turning the engine shaft 20 over. As the upper extremity of said indicating member reaches the lower limit/of its movement, the operator quickly rocks the lever 18 in the opposite direction thereby bustion engine embodying a plurality of.

cylinders and pistons, said pistons being mounted formovement in groups so that one group moves in one direction while another group is concurrently moving in the opposite direction, of a compressed air tank, an air compressor for-supplying 'saidtank, a compressed air delivery pipe leading from said tank and havinga plurality of branches which connect with the cylinders of the engine, a spring seated valve in each of said branches, and a manually operable lever arranged between said valves and adapted to open said valves alternately to admit compressed air first to one group of cylinders and then to another group.

'2. The combination with an internal combustion engine embodying a plurality of cylinders a-ncl'pis'tons, said pistons being mounted for movement in groups so that "onegroup. moves in one direction while another group is concurrently moving in the opposite direction, of a compressed air shaft of the engine and serving to indicate when one group of pistons is up and the other group down.

3. The conibination with an internal combustion engine embodying a plurality of cylinders and pistons, said pistons being mountedror movement in groups so that one group moves in one direction while another group is concurrently moving in the opposite direction, of a compressed air supply in communication with said cylinders, valve mechanism'adapted to alternately admit compressed airfirstto one group of cylinders'and then to another group, a plurality of vertically movable indicators actuated by thecrank shaft of the engine and serving to'indicate when one group of pistons is up and the other'group down, and glazed observation openings through which portions of said-indicators are visible.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ELTON F. MAYERS.

Copies bi this patent may be obtained for five cents eahfbynfidre'ss'ingthe flonim'isionerof Patents, Washington; D. G. 

